


Ella

by PallasCat



Series: The Shadows of Vigil's Keep [2]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-16
Updated: 2015-11-16
Packaged: 2018-05-01 22:43:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5223776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PallasCat/pseuds/PallasCat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ella runs away from Kirkwall but she can't stay with her parents for long since the Templars keep chasing her. She decides to leave for Amaranthine where the rumour says the mages are sheltered</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ella

Her parents couldn't hide her for long and she understood. They gave her all the gold they could find, enough clothing for a whole month and as much food as they could pack and dropped her in a harbour for her to take a boat for Ferelden. The King was known to defend apostates and some said he even sheltered some in Amaranthine.

And that was her chance. Amaranthine. Her parents didn't know if it was the truth. But this was her only chance, they cried and begged her to write once she would reach the city. At first she had considered going back to Kirkwall but her parents begged her not to, and she still remembered the Champion's words, telling her to stay away from Kirkwall.

Now she was lying on a small bed in the cabin of the boat she was on. The cabin was bigger than the cell she had in the Gallows, even the small porthole was larger than the opening of her chambers there. She still felt strange wearing pants and not robes, but she couldn't allow herself to get caught, she even had to burn her staff in her parents' fireplace.

Ella sighed deeply and looked by the small window of her cabin, her eyes lost on the ocean, she couldn't see the Free Marches anymore, maybe she would see Ferelden's Coasts today. A dull pain flooded her stomach. She could never go back. Whatever life she could have now was in Amaranthine. She couldn't live anywhere else. 

And if this sheltering mages in amaranthine was a scam then she was done for. She would be made Tranquil, or maybe she would luckily be hanged as  Ser Alrik's  murderer even if she hasn't done a thing. She got up and left the cabin with her stuff behind to get some fresh air. It still felt strange. Being able to get some air without being escorted by a Templar. Or watched just like you had the Plague.

Some sailors were busy on the deck but none paid attention to her as she find a little place in the shadows where she wouldn't bother anyone. She stares at her feet realising she would behave the same way in Kirkwall. Still an obedient little doll.

No sailor went to bother her, running around and doing their jobs without a side look to her as she stared at them. It was so different from the Gallows, she didn't have to fear for her life or integrity whenever she was looking at someone for too long, sometimes it would only annoy a sailor, or sometimes amuse them. 

Yesterday one of them thought she was trying to watch him making a noose and came back with another rope to show her. This sailor wasn't on the deck today. Maybe it was a rest day for him, or maybe he was busy somewhere else.

She took a deep breath, enjoying the saltiness of the sea. She decided to take a few steps out of her shelter to look at the horizon, and she saw it. The Land, still far away, grey little dots in the distance. She smiled at herself. She made it. She still was not safe. A runaway apostate. But she could at least feel a swelling sense of pride growing in her stomach. She may die tomorrow but she still did it.

 

 

No one was waiting for her on the docks, of course. She took a few hesitant steps, scared by all this agitation around her. All these people  hands busy, running everywhere, people shouting at each other in the markets. Children trying to bargain with their mothers for a treat. 

She held her bag close to her heart. She knew nothing of living outside. Had no idea of where to go, who to talk. She didn't know how to buy food, how to cook it, where to do all of this. She had to ask someone for directions. Maybe a guard. There was nothing on her to sell her out, right ? No staff, no robes, no visible magic. Non-mages couldn't tell a mage from a normal person, right ?

"Young girl ? Are you alright ?" Ella almost barked as she jumped backward, to the great surprise of the tiny tattooed dwarf holding her palms up as a peace offering. "Wow ! Calm down, I don't bite." the dwarf laughed with a cheerful smile.

"I-I'm sorry. I-...Maker, why is it so hard ?...I've never been in a big city before. I'm a bit lost." stuttered the mage squeezing her bag tighter on her chest.

"It's alright, It's alright. I'm  Sigrun , and the other one there is  Oghren , he's drunk so don't mind him." she said pointing a red-haired dwarf talking none sense to a pile of dead fish. "We are Grey Wardens, maybe we can help you ?" Ella smiled nervously. She heard about Grey Wardens, Anders was one of them. They must be  truthworthy  then.

"I-...I'm not sure I should be saying this but...I-I need shelter and I heard Amaranthine was offering it..."

"Shelter ? What for ?" asked  Sigrun  raising an eyebrow and Ella's stomach stiffened, maybe there was not shelter, she had been lied to, she was about to apologise and leave when the dwarf started talking again. "I mean, the Wardens of Amaranthine are protecting the mages but are you a mage ? You don't even have a staff ?"

Ella opened her mouth but nothing came out and she started crying.  Sigrun  tried to calm her down by taking her hands in hers and patting them gently but Ella couldn't stop sobbing.

"I'm sorry...I so sorry... I'm a Circle Runaway... I can't go back... They would... They would kill me...  or worse... I have to find a way out..." she cried helplessly as the dwarf kept petting her hands gently with her tiny calloused fingers.

"It's alright little thing. If you're from a Circle it's going to be a little harder to keep you out of their reach but there's always a solution if you want. It already worked before. If you want you can join the Grey Wardens." said  Sigrun  peacefully with a warm smile, Ella managed to calm her hiccups and wipe her tears away.

"B-Become a Grey Warden ? They can't take me back if I do ?"

"No they can't. Once you're a Warden nothing that happened before matters. Pretty much like with the Legion of the Dead but the Wardens definitively are cooler." she joked lightly squeezing slightly Ella's hand. "So, will you join ? You can come with us to Vigil's Keep and we will take care of that."  Sigrun  asked gently. Ella nodded quickly and strongly, tears of happiness still escaping from her eyes.

Sigrun  took her hand and guided her while chatting friendly, catching up with  Oghren , busy roaring at a scarecrow for bumping into him.

"That's good news, I'm sure we will be good friends. You just have to meet the Warden-Commander first. Don't worry he's nice. And tiny. Nothing to be scared about." Ella smiled against softly. She was given a chance. And Maker she will take it.


End file.
